too, and Anthea shivered.

'Yes,' said Cyril, 'it's like being at the bottom of a well.'

The children waited in a sad and hungry silence, and got little
stiff necks with holding their little heads back to look up the
inside of the tall grey tower, to see if the Phoenix were coming.

At last it came. It looked very big as it fluttered down between
the walls, and as it neared them the children saw that its bigness
was caused by a basket of boiled chestnuts which it carried in one
claw. In the other it held a piece of bread. And in its beak was
a very large pear. The pear was juicy, and as good as a very small
drink. When the meal was over every one felt better, and the
question of how to get home was discussed without any
disagreeableness. But no one could think of any way out of the
difficulty, or even out of the tower; for the Phoenix, though its
beak and claws had fortunately been strong enough to carry food for
them, was plainly not equal to flying through the air with four
well-nourished children.

'We must stay here, I suppose,' said Robert at last, 'and shout out
every now and then, and some one will hear us and bring ropes and
ladders, and rescue us like out of mines; and they'll get up a
subscription to send us home, like castaways.'

'Yes; but we shan't be home before mother is, and then father'll
take away the carpet and say it's dangerous or something,' said
Cyril.